Two Marines honored for valor in Afghanistan

Silver Star, Bronze Star for Camp Pendleton SpecOps personnel

Staff Sgt. Maurice Scott, with Marine Special Operations Command, gives a short speech to his peers after receiving the Bronze Star at Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 12. Scott, 33, from Chicago, spotted and eliminated an insurgent cave position by employing a missile strike while observing from an exposed position, according to the citation.

Staff Sgt. Maurice Scott, with Marine Special Operations Command, gives a short speech to his peers after receiving the Bronze Star at Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 12. Scott, 33, from Chicago, spotted and eliminated an insurgent cave position by employing a missile strike while observing from an exposed position, according to the citation.

Staff Sgt. Andrew K. Thompson led his Marine special operations team and a company of Afghan soldiers into Shewan village, in Farah province, where they were attacked by a barrage of firepower from machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and recoilless rifles.

Staff Sgt. Maurice Scott dropped into an insurgent stronghold on a night helicopter raid in Helmand Province, where the enemy attacked at sunrise. Hours later the battle came down to grenades the insurgents lobbed by hand.

This week, the two men from the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion were each awarded a medal for their gallantry and heroic action in Afghanistan.

Thompson, originally from Bismarck, N.D., was issued the Silver Star, the third highest award for valor in combat. Scott, 33, of Chicago, was awarded the Bronze Star with V device.

Col. Steven J. Grass, commanding officer of Marine Special Operations Regiment, presented the honors Monday at Camp Pendleton. Civilian media were not invited to the ceremony for the Marine special operators, who are tight-lipped about their identities and service like elite forces from other branches of the military, because of the dangers of their work in small teams.

On Sept. 28, 2009, Thompson was a sergeant serving as element leader and team chief. When the enemy assaulted the Marines and Afghan soldiers, Thompson killed nine insurgents and wounded several more, according to his citation signed by Commandant Gen. James Amos that was presented on behalf of the president.

When the enemy surrounded them and opened fire from all directions, Thompson “with little regard for his own safety, twice resupplied his own formation.” As the onslaught grew worse, he called in air support from helicopters and jets, and then “led the nearly broken Afghan unit into an attack under intense fire," buoying the Afghan soldiers by example until the combined force defeated the enemy.

His selflessness and martial expertise were effective in combat and helped save many lives, the citation says.

On days like that, “I pray for wisdom to make good decisions and courage to act on those decisions,” Thompson said, according to a video by Cpl. Jennifer Pirante, a Marine Corps journalist.

His father Deryl Thompson said: “Andrew has always been a real team-oriented guy, willing to sacrifice personal recognition for the sake of the team. It was having the team do well that mattered the most.”

On Sept. 6, 2010, Scott was serving as a joint terminal attack controller, responsible for directing aircraft to enemy forces and supply lines. When the special operations Marines came under “ruthless assault,” Scott endured withering fire in an exposed position while he coordinated bomb, rocket and gun attacks from aircraft overhead, the citation says.

When an adjacent element was pinned down by mortar fire, Scott spotted the cave where insurgents were hiding and had it eliminated with a missile strike. Later, when the enemy came close to hand-to-hand combat, Scott leapt up and fired his weapon while calling in airstrikes dangerously close to his own forces.

“By his professional ability, steadfast initiative, and selfless dedication to duty, Staff Sgt. Scott reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service,” the citation says.

“You can’t attribute the success of the mission to one individual,” Scott said, according to Lance Cpl. Joshua Young, a Marine Corps journalist. “Everyone is actively involved in the process. It represents the achievements of our team.”

The former Army Ranger served three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, the Marine Corps reported. He currently is assigned to Headquarters Company and is learning Pashto, the predominant language in southern Afghanistan.